And then Everything Was Dark
by NeenaLucille
Summary: "Hello?" she called. Her voice echoed eerily in the dark alleyway. A shudder passed through Korra's body as someone placed a hand on her shoulder. She whipped around, eyes wide. Standing before her was a woman. A woman who looked exactly like Korra.
1. Rescued

**Important Note: this fanfic is 100% written by me (Neena). Lucille was, sadly, not involved.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own this show. I DO own a bag of cherry-flavored Jolly Ranchers and this laptop! *CHEERS*****  
**

**If you give me a review, I'll give you a fried Oreo. Yeah, I know it sounds gross but they are ADDICTIVE!**

**~ Neena**

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Korra rounded the bend, ponytails streaming behind her. She could feel Naga slowing down, losing steam. "Come on, girl," she whispered, "They'll give up soon enough."

She shot a glance over her shoulder. Viper and that firebending mobster, Two Toed Ping, were squeezed into a red Satomobile, still hot in pursuit of her. Korra had disposed of the earthbender earlier with an airbending technique that Tenzin had taught her.

Twisting around fully, she brought both of her fists upwards in one swift movement, as if punching an opponent in the jaw. Immediately, a wall of earth rose from the ground. The two gangsters were ambushed by this move and promptly collided with the obstacle she had created. They hurtled through the air, arms flailing. Viper quickly regained control of his body and did a triple somersault in the air, landing smoothly on his feet. The much clumsier Two Toed Ping landed on his side with a thud. He emitted a loud groan, but Viper ignored him.

"Stop here," Korra instructed Naga. The polar bear dog came to an immediate halt and collapsed in a thankful heap as soon as Korra had dismounted her.

"Just you an' me, Avatar." Viper jeered softly, his catlike eyes gleaming with a cruel light.

"Bring it on!" as her mouth formed the last word, Korra executed a high, arching kick, directing a stream of water towards Viper. He deflected her attack easily, using his hands to mold the water into his own missile, which he launched back at her. She tried to defend herself with an earthbending method, but Viper's projectile struck her in the stomach and sent her flying into a secluded alleyway.

"I've been practicing, dame," he taunted, striding over, "I'm not as vulnerable as I was the last time we faced off."

All of a sudden, an unfamiliar figure materialized behind him. Muscular arms wrapped themselves around Viper's neck. Hands closed over his mouth, smothering him and causing his eyeballs to bulge in an almost comical way. He thrashed his arms and legs, but it did him no good. Korra watched, dumfounded, as her opponent was dragged into the shadows. It was as if he had disappeared into thin air.

She scrambled to her feet, curiosity fueling her body. "Hello?" she called. Her voice echoed eerily in the dark alleyway.

A shudder passed through Korra's body as someone placed a hand on her shoulder. She whipped around, eyes wide.

Standing before her was a woman.

A woman who looked exactly like Korra.


	2. Kidnapped

The woman looked like she was somewhere in her mid-twenties. She sported black, loose fitting clothes, and her dark, wavy hair was braided with the glossy feather of a lizard crow. Both she and Korra boasted athletic, wiry frames and honey-colored skin.

But the most striking resemblance was in their faces.

Korra couldn't tear herself away from those round, blue orbs, set in that ovular face. Those were _her_ eyes. That nose. That mouth. Those eyebrows.

That was _her _face.

"Who are you?" she managed to choke out the words.

"Who are _you_?"

Korra rolled her eyes. "I don't have time for this game."

"As I recall, I just saved your life. You kind of owe me now."

"My name is Korra."

The woman's daunting blue eyes widened in disbelief. "Avatar Korra?"

"No, cabbage merchant Korra. Of course I'm Avatar Korra!"

There was an awkward pause. All of a sudden, the woman seized her wrist. "C'mon. We're going on a little adventure."

"No way. I'm the Avatar, and I'll decide where I go. Not you!" Korra twisted free of the woman's grasp, conjuring a ball of flame in her palm. Instead of attacking, however, the woman chuckled softly and retreated into the shadows. Korra took a few wary steps back.

"You don't know the first thing about bending, Avatar." The woman's matter-of-fact voice seemed to come from everywhere, surrounding Korra, trapping her. She shook her head, and the flames dancing in her hand blazed from orange to white.

"If that's true, then why are you so afraid of me? Come out and face me, coward." Even as she spoke the words, the memory of Viper suffocating in the woman's grip was rekindled in her mind. She pushed it away.

"You're messing with a dark force that you obviously can't handle." Korra shivered, clenching her fists. The flames died abruptly. Before she could respond, her hands were pinned behind her back and she could feel the woman's breath next to her ear.

"Listen up, Avatar. I don't want to hurt you. In fact, I want you to be fully intact by the time we get to where we're going. But I can't guarantee that's gonna happen if you throw any more temper tantrums. Have I made myself clear?"

"Crystal." Korra snarled.

"Good. We'd better get moving." She prodded Korra's arm. "I'm going to let go of you now. Don't try anything sneaky. You've seen what I can do."

The woman released her grip on Korra, allowing the teenager to rub her sore wrists. "Now follow me." She sauntered to the end of the alley, Korra not far behind. "We'll get there by rooftop."

Suddenly, Korra's captor halted in her tracks. She glanced over her shoulder. "My name's Kaizuko, by the way. I'm a shadowbender."


	3. Something Wicked

By the time Korra and Kaizuko arrived, it was midnight.

The journey had been tiresome. They had mostly traveled by rooftop, where the wind whipped their exposed faces and lizard crows nipped at their ankles. When they came to a dead end, Kaizuko would retreat to the ground, using the shadows to conceal the two women from pedestrians.

"You know, I could probably use _my _bending to get us there if you just told me where we're going!" Korra had pointed out more than once as they ambled down the sidewalk.

Kaizuko had given her the same infuriating response each time. "We must travel without being noticed. My shadowbending will do just the trick."

Despite all of Korra's grumbling, the older woman remained as stubborn as an elbow leech.

They hadn't stopped for food or drink, adding to Korra's exhaustion. When they finally reached, her stomach was growling so loudly she thought it would burst.

"We're here." Kaizuko announced triumphantly over Korra's famished groans.

Korra surveyed the ramshackle warehouse, one eyebrow raised skeptically.

"C'mon." Kaizuko marched forwards, gesturing for Korra to follow. The teenager hesitated before scampering after her.

There were about two dozen other people inside of the warehouse. Some were young, younger than Korra, and others were wrinkled with age. Most of were clad in shabby tunics and worn-out shoes – if any at all. Their heads, quivering atop scrawny necks, twisted to glower at the Avatar, and she fiddled nervously with the pelt wrapped around her waist.

Korra felt wary eyes boring holes in her back as she shuffled forwards, following Kaizuko. "It's Avatar Korra!" came someone's hoarse whisper. And the word 'Avatar' was taken up, repeated and passed around the room until it seemed that thunder rumbled through the ranks of scruffy-looking people. Korra rubbed the bridge of her nose uneasily.

A gaunt, elderly man stepped forwards. His mane of white hair tumbled down his back, seeming to weight him down. Amber eyes, glowing with experience, were placed low on his weathered face. When he spoke, the room fell silent.

"Kaizuko," croaked the old man, giving Korra's captor a stern glare, "Why is the Avatar here?"

Kaizuko's expression was unreadable. "She can help us, Pak Long."

"Help you with what?" Korra demanded. Both Kaizuko and Pak Long shot her disapproving looks.

"You have brought nothing but danger to our people, Kaizuko. The Order of the White Lotus will stop at nothing to find the Avatar, once they discover that she is missing. Every member of our clan, from the smallest infant to the frailest elder, will be imprisoned and maybe even –"

"Killed." All heads turned to a hooded woman leaning casually against the doorframe. Korra noticed alarm flit briefly across Kaizuko's features, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

"Chief Hotaru," Korra's captor said smoothly, with a slight bow of her head, "I have returned from my scouting mission."

"Thanks for enlightening me." The hooded woman's voice dripped with sarcasm. Korra couldn't help but smirk as the sardonic remark caused Kaizuko's face to flush as red as a lychee nut.

Chief Hotaru sauntered up to the Korra and surveyed her, one eyebrow raised. The teenager's wide grin vanished. "So," the older woman murmured, "This is the famous Avatar Korra. It is an honor to meet you. My name is Hotaru." She peeled back the hood, letting the dim light of the warehouse illuminate her features.

She was a classic Fire Nation beauty, with lustrous black hair gathered in a high ponytail, aristocratic amber eyes framed by thick lashes, and a milky complexion. There was a thin, yet very noticeable scar on her cheek. Korra recognized it as the mark of a blade.

Hotaru flashed the teenager a smile and extended her hand. Korra hesitated before shaking it.

There was a swish of fabric and several shocked gasps as Korra lunged for Hotaru, pinning her to the wall. She leaned in close to the older woman so that their faces were only inches apart. "Pleasure to meet you," she hissed, "Now tell me why I'm here."

Instead of cowering, however, or let alone answering her question, Hotaru laughed.

There was something very wrong about that laugh. Something wicked.

Then Korra felt excruciating pain consume her body. Her knees buckled, her limbs became cold, and she slumped to the floor in an unconscious heap. The last thing she remembered was seeing Kaizuko's emotionless face staring down at her, and Hotaru's laugh still ringing in her ears.


	4. Clues

Mako was jolted awake as something pink, wet, and downright disgusting rolled over his face. The teenage firebender caught a brief glimpse of a slimy tongue snaking back into a very un-humanlike mouth before the revolting stench of week-old fish flooded his nostrils. He flinched away, gasping for air.

A massive polar bear dog stared down at him, unblinking. Her beady black eyes glinted in the pale light of dawn, and her tail thumped constantly against her leg. A thin tendril of drool dangled from her powerful jaws.

"Hey, Naga," Mako yawned, extending his hand to stroke the beast's velvety ears. Then he froze. "Wait – Naga?"

Mako glanced around, taking in his surroundings. He was sprawled across a bench in Central Park, the soft gurgling of the fountain filling the air. The trees were burdened with sleek red apples; their branches sagged so low that they almost touched the grass. Pedestrians scurried about, some of them throwing him curious looks.

Scratching his head confusedly, Mako strained to remember the happenings of the previous night.

_"You're sure this is the place?" Mako sauntered down the alleyway, his amber eyes taking in every detail. The witness scowled._

_ "Of course! Do I look stupid to you?" he growled, only to be silenced by a sharp glare from the handsome policeman._

_ Mako traced the rough, bumpy bricks with his fingertips, eyebrows furrowed. A noisy crash snapped his attention to two slender figures at the end of the alley. One of them was kneeling down next to a small object. The translucent shards of a green glass bottle – the cause of the crash - lay at the other's feet._

_ The policeman peered closer at the small object that the first figure was kneeling besides. Realization struck him like a lightning bolt._

_ A bomb._

_ Mako took off towards the two figures. They whirled around and tore away, cloaks billowing._

_The teenage firebender pursued the two figures out of the alley, down the sidewalk, and halfway through Central Park. That was when it happened._

_One of the strangers fumbled in the leather satchel around his shoulder as he ran, removing a polished black sphere. He twisted around and, with incredible accuracy, chucked it at Mako. In midair, the black shell cracked and released a cloud of thick purple smoke into the air. The policeman paused, coughing. Water bubbled at the corners of his eyes as the smoke engulfed him. All of a sudden, he felt his eyelids drooping, his mind drifting off into a blissful sleep…_

Mako scrambled off of the bench, his mind spinning. He remembered everything now. He had been investigating some mysterious bombings in Republic City for the past three weeks. Finally, last night, he had caught a glimpse of the criminals. It would be nearly impossible to track them now.

Then he recalled the bomb in the alleyway. He could head back there and investigate it. It may provide some useful information.

The policeman jammed his hands into his pockets and began the walk to the alley, but was blocked by Naga. Her bright little eyes glistened with desperation, as if she were trying to communicate a message to him.

Mako shook his head and tried to sidestep the bulky beast. Naga growled softly, a low rumbling that sent prickles along the firebender's spine. He thrust his palms out, as if begging the polar bear dog not to harm him.

"What do you want?" he demanded, wariness tingeing his cross tone. "I have stuff to do."

Naga spun around and bounded off, pausing to throw him a look over her shoulder. _She wants me to follow her_, the policeman realized. After a few moments of consideration, curiosity drowned out all of his other thoughts and he jogged after the beast.

Naga led him out of the park, down the sidewalk and into an alleyway. She continued to trot down the dingy backstreet, but Mako paused for a moment to catch his breath. She twisted to shoot him an irritable glare.

"Wait a minute, I'm coming, " he panted. Naga sank back in her haunches with a snort. Then some small slivers of green caught Mako's eye.

Forgetting his exhaustion, the teenager crept over and examined them curiously. The glass shards of a bottle. This was the same alley in which he had spotted the bombers last night.

In vain, Mako searched the alleyway for the bomb. It was gone. He cursed under his breath. The criminals must have retrieved it after they had put him to sleep.

He swept up the remainders of the bottle into his palm, studying each one carefully. As he peered closer at the jagged mouthpiece, he noticed a faint red stain on its rim. Lipstick marks. Despite himself, Mako was surprised. He'd automatically assumed that the criminals were, well, men. He had only ever chased down male crooks. Could women even commit crimes? Sheepishly, he scolded himself for thinking like a sexist.

Mako slipped the shards into his pocket and nodded at Naga. There was no other evidence of the crooks here. The polar bear dog leapt to her paws and galloped down the alley, Mako sprinting to keep up.

Where was she taking him?


End file.
